Introduction to Italian literature: from the unification of Italy to the present day (19th, 20th, and 21st centuries)

Teacher(s)

Béghin Laurent;

Language

Italian

Prerequisites

Speaking: A2 level in Italian 
Writing: A2 level in Italian  
Reading comprehension (of scientific texts, etc.): A2+ level in Italian  

Main themes

•  Romanticism
• Verismo
• Decadentism
• Futurism
• Hermeticism
• Neorealism and the Neoavanguardia
• Engaged literature
• Detective fiction
• Postmodernism  

Learning outcomes

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :
1	Recognise the components of different periods
2	Recognise the most important literary genres and their characteristics
3	Recognise the key moments in Italian history
This learning unit contributes to the development and command of the following skills and learning outcomes of the ELAL programmes: 1.4; 1.5; 2.6; 3.5; 3.6; 4.3; 6.4; 6.5; 6.6

Content

This course is divided into two parts.  Fifteen hours of theoretical presentations - one hour per week - will be devoted to the major Italian literary movements from the beginning of the 19th century to the present day (romanticism, verismo, decadentism, futurism, hermeticism, neorealism, postmodernism, etc.).  During the fifteen hours of exercise sessions (one hour per week), the students will read in Italian texts by authors mentioned during the lectures.
Organized in the second semester, this course is given in Italian.

Teaching methods

Cycle of lectures about Italian literature (+ readings of texts)

Evaluation methods

A written exam covering the entire subject will be organized in June and August.

Online resources

The slideshows used to support the lectures will be posted online on the Moodle page of this course the day before each session

Bibliography

Gianfranco CONTINI, La letteratura italiana Otto-Novecento, Milan, Rizzoli,  2001, 470 p.
IDEM, Letteratura dell'Italia unita, 1961-1968, con un'introduzione di Cesare Segré, Milan, Rizzoli, 2012 (1ère éd. 1968), 1367 p.
Giulio FERRONI, Storia della letteratura italiana. Il Novecento, Turin, Einaudi, 1999, 803 p.
Giacinto SPAGNOLETTI, Storia della letteratura italiana del Novecento, Rome, Newton Compton, 1994, 943 p.

Faculty or entity

> ELAL